Gun



Jan. 14, 1936. C A YUNG 2,027,950

GUN

Filed Jan. 27, 1935 INVENTOR ATTO R N EYS Patented Jan. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GUN Charles A. Young, Springlield, Ohio Application January 2v, 1933,'se`ria1 No. 653,903

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in guns of the type known as small arms or shoulder guns, it more particularly relating to improvements in the actions of that class of guns of the type stated v5 known as release-fire guns.

Release-nre guns are now well known and are those which iire on a forward movement of the trigger'after it has been pressed to its full rearward position, in contrast to the standard gun which reson a rearward pull. 'Ihe release-lire action was designed and developed as an aid to shooters who were subject to flinching, wherein the gun was pulled off the mark during the act of pressing the trigger. With the release action,

after the trigger has been pressed, the shooter may relax and correct his aim, and fire the gun by releasing the pressure of the trigger nger.

Release action guns have another advantage in that a strong scar notch may be employed, it being well known that to provide an easy trigger pull in a standard action the sear or hammer is often filed toy provide a more or less hair-trigger effect. A hair-trigger action is a source of danger, more especially in a gun of the pump type or a bolt action, since when such guns are operated hurriedly, the violence oi the return of the heavy breech-block or the bolt may be sufficient to jar the sear out of the sear notch and cause an accidental discharge of the gun.

One of the disadvantages of the earlier forms of release-nre actions was that these actions could.

135 wood was usually weakened Vto a considerable extent by the changes. `Another disadvantage was that when the shooter held his fire, as he is forced to do at times, he must hold the trigger tightly in the full rearward position, often for a considerable length of time, as otherwise the gun will be red on relaxation of finger pressure. His alternatives at such a time are to fire the gun purposely, merely to avoid the necessity of holding the trigger for a time, or he must attempt to extract the loaded shell from the barrel, which becomes a dangerous act, since he must maintain constant pressure on the trigger while per-g Another advantage in this connection is that the gun may be re-converted to standard action by the removal of a small part of the action, with no'change in the performance of such action.

Another object and advantage is the provision 5 of means whereby in one form of my improved action, if a shooter holds his fire after having pulled the trigger to release the main detent or sear he may relieve himself of the necessity of holding the trigger indefinitely by manipulating 10 with the other hand an easily accessible means attached to the hammer whereby the hammer is again engaged with the Sear and held thereby in cocked position. When he desires to re, he merely pulls the trigger again and releases it. Y 15 In another form means are provided to lock the trigger in its full rearward position, thereby holding the hammer against movement. When it is desired to fire the gun, the locking means is easily withdrawn and the trigger is released.

In the accompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view partly in elevation and partly in longitudinal section showing conventionally a portion of a repeating gun of the pump-gun type whose action is constructed according to the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 but with the action shown in the cocked position.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the principal parts of the improved action with a portion of the action-carrying trigger plate in longitudinal section.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the parts shown in Fig. 3.

jFig. 5 is a fragmentary view partly in eleva- 35 tion and partly in longitudinal section showing conventionally another form of gun having a slightly modiied form of the improved action'incorporated therewith.

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 5 with the action shown in another working position.

Fig. '7 is another view similar to Figs. 5 and 6 with the action in still another working position.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view showing conventionally in longitudinalsection a bolt-action gun having another slightly modied form of the improved release trigger action associated therewith.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 8 with the action shown in a different working position.

Fig. 10 is a View similar to Fig. 7 of a modified form of the improved release re action as applied to a different type of gun.

Referring to the drawing, Figs. 1, 2 and 3 show a portion of a repeating pump gun having a com- QQ bined sear and trigger, and illustrate the manner in which this type of action is converted to afford a simple release i'lre action. All of the parts except the hammer and combined sear and trigger are shown conventionally and all other necessary appurtenances which are not involved in the explanation of the invention are omitted entirely. A

The gun is shown in Fig. 1 with its action in a position as it would appear immediately after firing. The gun is cooked in the well known manner, the breech-block I being moved rearwardly in the usual way by means not shown to the position shown in Fig. 2, and since the upper part 2 of the impact member, shown as a. hammer H, is in the path of the breech-block, the impact member or hammer is cammed down.

The hammer is pivotally mounted-on a pin 3l xed in the trigger guard plate il, and the camming down movement of the hammer brings the sear notch 5 thereof in juxtaposition with the forward end 6 of a combined sear and trigger T. The sear and trigger make a slight pivotal movement about its pivot pin 3 and the end of the sear is forced into engagement with the sear notch by the pressure of the trigger spring.

To convert the action so far described into a release-fire mechanism by means of my invention, it is only necessary to add a small removable lug to one side of the upper end 2 of the hammer H and to provide an upstanding detent arm attached to the corresponding side of the body portion 9 of the trigger T, although if desired a new trigger member with the detent integrally formed therewith may be substituted for the original trigger member. The lug vis indicated at I and is secured to the side of the hammer by a small screw I I at a suitable point. The detent arm is shown at I2 and projects outwardly and upwardly from the trigger body rearwardly of the trigger lpivot pin 'I and is extended upwardly suiiciently so that when the hammer is in the cocked position (Fig. 2) the outer end of the detent arm I2 and the lug I0 are closely adjacent one another. Since the detent arm I2 projects from the trigger body at a point to the rear of the trigger pivot, a rearward linger pressure on the trigger causes the detent arm to swing closer to the lug until eventually the detent arm will make contact therewith as shown in Fig. 3. It will be understood that during a rearward pull on the trigger the sear portion 6 is also being withdrawn from the sear notch in the hammer, and the parts are so proportioned and designed that the detent arm is in a position to engage and hold the hammer by means of its contact with the lug Ill on the hammer immediately after the sear is withdrawn from the sear notch. The hammer thus makes a very short pivotal movement between the time that the sear is removed from the sear notch and the time that the lug is engaged by the detent arm I2 which provides that when the trigger is released to lire the gun, the sear notch will have moved sufliciently from the proximity of the end portion of the sear 6 that the latter does not re-engage the sear notch, but instead rises upwardly and makes contact with the lower surface of the hammer at a point slightly forward of the sear notch. Obviously when the trigger is released the gun is fired, as the forward movement of the finger portion of the trigger causes a swing to the rear of the detent arm I2 away from the lug I0 and allows the hammer to strike the firing pin I3 under the influence of the main spring I4.

To avoid the necessity of holding the trigger indefinitely in its retracted position when the shooter wishes to hold his re, a means is provided whereby the hammer may again be engaged by the sear. The hammer H is provided with an extension I5 which projects downwardly and forwardly from the hammer hub I6 through a notch in the trigger guard plate and has its lowermost portion disposed exteriorly of the gun in an accessible location forwardly of the trigger guard. Referring to Fig. 3 which shows the position of the action just prior to firing, it will be seen that the hammer may again be engaged by the sear by pressing forwardly on the extension I5, and at the same time slightly decreasing the finger pressure on the trigger in order to allow the trigger spring 8 to force the sear into the scar notch. The parts would then again be in the position shown in Fig. 2, and other safety devices (not shown) may be manipulated to make the cocked gun safe.

The gun shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 is a conventionally shown break gun, and is cocked by breaking the gun at the pivotal point I'I. The action of this gun employs a separate sear I8 and sear spring I9, and a trigger with its trigger spring 2l suitably mounted on pivot pins fixed in ears attached to the lower fork of the breech frame, and in order to provide clearance space for the location of the. sear and trigger as shown, the forward end of the stock 22 is cut away to form the comparatively deep centrally disposed recess 23 in the stock. The means for converting standard action of this type to the release re action consists of the detent arm 24 integrally attached to the upper portion of the sear I8 rearwardly of its pivotal mounting pin 25, and to prevent unnecessary cutting away of the stock, the detent arm 2Q is attached to the central portion of the sear I8 in the same vertical plane as the hammer and sear. The detent arm is extended and shaped to engage the upper rear portion of the impact member 26 which is here shown as a hammer impelled by a spring 26', and to make it possible to re-convert the action to a standard firing gun a step is machined in the upper rear portion of the hammer in which is placed a small block 21 secured to the hammer by a small screw 28 (Fig. 5). It will be seen that when the block 21 is removed the gun again becomes a standard firing gun, as is also the case when the lug I0 is removed from the hammer I-I of the gun shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

A locking means is provided for the gun shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 consisting of a slidable plate 29 having a centrally disposed slotted opening 3U through which the threaded stem 3l of the forward portion of the trigger guard is inserted. A notch 32 is provided in the forward edge of the trigger, coming in alignment with the plate 29 each time the action is brought into the release-lire position where the detent arm engages and holds the hammer, `and to lock the action in this position the plate is slid rearwardly into the notch whereby the shooter is relieved of holding the trigger.

A simple method of providing a release re trigger action for a bolt action gun is shown in Figs. 8 and 9. The action is shown cocked in Fig. 8, the catch or sear 33 of the trigger 34 being `in Fig. 5.

stitutes the impact member impelled by the spring 36. On pressing the trigger the sear 33 is drawn away from the ring pin but in the meantime the release fire detent 31 is entering into a second groove 38 in the ring pin as shown in Fig. 9. As in both the other mechanisms previously described, the action is so designed and proportioned as to provide that the sear does not again re-enter its notch during a release movement of the trigger, but makes a light frictional contact with the under surface of the iiring pin.

This action is also provided with a locking means of the same principle as just described in connection with the break gun shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. The locking plate is indicated at 39 slidably mounted between the trigger guard 40 at the forward side thereof, and may be inserted in -an aligned opening or notch 4| in the trigger when the action is in the release fire positionas shown in Fig. 9 when it is desired to hold the re.

A form of release-lire action which is a modification of the mechanism employed in the gun shown in Figs. 5, 6 and '7 is shown in Fig. 10 in the locked position it assumes just prior to the release. There is provided a detent arm 42 which is secured to the trigger 43 instead of on the sear 49 and therefore is located at a more rearwardly disposed point than the detent arm shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7. This is done partly to permit engaging an extension arm 44 integrally attached to the hammer or impact member proper at a greater distance from the hammer pivot 45 than would be possible when engaging with the end of the hammer itself asis the case in the gun shown Thus the power of the compressed main spring 46 does not exert itself to such a great extent on the end of the longer extended arm 44 whereby an easy release is obtained. This arrangement also permits that by the relative location of the pivots of the trigger and hammer, as shown, it is possible to provide that the engagement of the detent arm 42 with the end of the extension arm 44 is in the nature of a hooking engagement, and, further, in the releasing movement of the trigger, the latter member makes a partial rotation about its pivot pin 41 of con-V siderable extent, which may be varied by altering the amount of hook the detent has with the extended arm, the spring 8 not only acting to move the sear 49 to engaging position but also operate the trigger 43 when released. This form of action may also be locked in release position by the locking plate 48 in the same manner as described in connection with the gun shown in Fig. 7. In this construction, further, the engagement of the sear 42 with the impact member may be insured prior to the release of the impact member by the l'sear 49 for the reason that the parts may be so chamber carried by said sear to hold the impact member cocked movable by said trigger to a position to engage the impact member when said impact member is released by said sear, said detent being moved to disengage said impact member when pressure is released on said trigger member.

2. In a gun having a chamber, a spring-pressed movable impact member in said chamber, a movable spring-pressed trigger member partly located in said chamber,` a separate sear member in said chamber to hold the impact member cocked operated by said trigger member when pressure is applied thereto, and a detent in said chamber carried by said trigger member to hold the impact member cocked movable with said trigger to a position td engage the impact member when said impact member is released by said sear, said detent being movable with said trigger to disengage said impact member when pressure is released on said trigger member.

3. In a gun having a chamber, a movable spring-pressed impact member in said chamber, means for cocking the same, a movable springpressed trigger partly located in said chamber, means in said chamber to hold the impact member cocked releasable by pressure upon said trigger, and a detent in said chamber to hold the impact member cocked movable by said trigger to a position to engage the impact member when said impact member is released by said holding means, the disposition of said holding means and detent being such as to permit a slight movement of said impact member when released by said holding means and before engagement by said detent, said detent being movable with said trigger to disengage said impact member when pressure is released on said trigger, and means connected with said impact member in addition to said cocking means for restoring the same to fully cocked position topermit the re-engagement therewith by said holding means prior to the release thereof by the trigger.

4. In a gun having a chamber, a mo'vable spring-pressed impact member in said chamber, a movable trigger partly located in said chamber, a pivoted sear in said chamber formed separately from said trigger to hold the impact member cocked releasable by pressure on said trigger, and a detent in said chamber carried by said trigger to hold the impact member cocked movable by said trigger to a position to engage the impact member prior to the release of said sear by said trigger, said detent being movable with said trigger to release said impact member when pressure is released on said trigger.

5. In a gun having a chamber, a movable spring-pressed pivoted hammer in said chamber, a movable trigger member partly located in said chamber, a pivoted sear in said chamber formed separately from said trigger to hold the hammer cocked releasable by pressure upon said trigger, and a detent in said chamber carried by said trigger movable by said trigger to hold said hammer cocked prior to the release of said hammer by said sear, said detent being movable with said trigger to release said hammer when pressure is released on said trigger.

CHARLES A. YOUNG. 

